MEC Not Working? 13 Essential Fixes to Troubleshoot Common Issues

MEC not working as expected on your WordPress website? This guide walks you through the most common Modern Events Calendar issues and shows you how to troubleshoot them step by step, including problems with shortcodes, AJAX, bookings, emails, Google Maps, and plugin conflicts.

This guide walks you through the most common MEC issues and explains how to troubleshoot them step by step.

MEC Not Working: Quick Troubleshooting Checks

Before troubleshooting a specific problem, perform the following basic checks.

Clear Your Cache

After installing or updating MEC or one of its add-ons, cached files can sometimes prevent the latest version from loading correctly.

1. Clear the cache of your WordPress caching plugin.
2. If you use a CDN such as Cloudflare, purge the CDN cache as well.
3. Hard-refresh your browser using Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows or Cmd + Shift + R on Mac.

If the problem started immediately after an update, clearing all caches should be one of the first things you try.

Check Your WordPress and Server Requirements

Go to: WordPress Dashboard > Tools > Site Health > Info

Check the WordPress and Server sections.

Make sure WordPress is up to date and that your PHP version meets MEC requirements. MEC requires PHP 5.6 or later, although PHP 7.4 or newer is recommended.

MEC Cannot Be Installed

If WordPress shows an error such as:

The link you followed has expired. Please try again.

the problem is often the maximum upload size configured by your hosting provider.

To check the current limit, go to:

Tools > Site Health > Info > Media Handling > Max upload file size

If the limit is too low, ask your hosting provider to increase it. A value of 64 MB is generally sufficient for MEC.

As an alternative, you can extract the MEC ZIP file and upload the plugin folder directly to:

wp-content/plugins

Then activate MEC from: Plugins > Installed Plugins

Update MEC and Its Add-ons

Compatibility problems can occur when MEC, WordPress, your theme, or MEC add-ons are running different or outdated versions.

Go to: MEC > Addons

Update any add-ons that have an available update. You should also update MEC itself. You can use either the automatic update or manual update method.

After updating, clear your website and browser caches again.

Quick Checks

Re-save MEC Settings

Go to: MEC > Settings

Without changing any options, click Save Changes.

This can refresh MEC’s configuration and generated style files and is a safe first step when an existing configuration starts behaving unexpectedly.

Test With a New Shortcode

A shortcode can contain many filters and configuration options. Creating a new basic shortcode can help determine whether the problem is caused by MEC itself or by the configuration of the original shortcode.

Go to: MEC > Shortcodes

Create a new shortcode and leave its options at their default values.

Copy the generated shortcode, for example:

[mec id="123"]

Create a new WordPress page, insert the shortcode using a Shortcode block/widget, and check the result.

If the new calendar works, the problem is probably related to the settings of your original shortcode. Compare the two shortcodes and check their filters, date ranges, categories, and other options.

If the new shortcode does not work either, continue with the troubleshooting steps below.

Make sure the quotation marks in your shortcode are standard quotation marks ("). Smart quotes copied from emails, documents, or forums may prevent WordPress from correctly processing the shortcode.

The Calendar Is Not Showing

If the page does not display the calendar, or you can see the shortcode itself instead, check the following.

Check How the Shortcode Was Added

Depending on your editor:

• In the WordPress Block Editor, use a Shortcode block.
• In Elementor, use the Shortcode widget.
• In the Classic Editor, place the shortcode on its own line.

Check MEC Assets

MEC can be configured to load its CSS and JavaScript files only on pages where they are required.

Go to: MEC > Settings > General

Check the Assets (CSS & JavaScript files) option.

If assets are configured to load per page, make sure MEC assets are enabled on the page containing your calendar.

For more information, see the Assets documentation.

The Calendar Appears but Shows No Events

If the calendar itself is displayed but no events are shown, check the following:

• Make sure the events are published.
• Check that the event dates fall within the date range configured in the shortcode.
• Check the shortcode’s category, label, location, and other filters.

If MEC is still not working, a plugin or theme conflict may be responsible. you can also continue with the troubleshooting steps below.

The Calendar Is Displayed Twice

If the calendar appears more than once on the same page, check the following.

Check the Shortcode

Make sure the shortcode has not been added twice.

For example, it may have been added once to the page content and again through a sidebar widget, Elementor template, or another page-builder element.

Check the Page Slug

If the page containing your shortcode uses the same slug as MEC’s archive slug, WordPress may display both the MEC archive and the page content.

Check: MEC > Settings > Slugs/Permalinks

The default Main Slug is events.

If a WordPress page also uses events as its slug, rename the page or change the MEC Main Slug.

Check Optimization and Caching Plugins

JavaScript combination, concatenation, or caching features can sometimes cause MEC content to be loaded incorrectly.

Clear all caches first.

If the issue remains, temporarily disable JavaScript combination/minification in your optimization plugin or exclude MEC scripts from optimization.

If the calendar is still duplicated, continue with the plugin and theme conflict tests.

MEC Calendar Buttons, Popups, or Sliders Not Working

If the calendar appears correctly but clicking buttons does nothing, popups do not open, sliders do not move, or countdowns do not work, the problem is usually related to JavaScript.

Check the Browser Console

1. Open the page where the problem occurs.
2. Press F12, or right-click and select Inspect.
3. Open the Console tab.
4. Look for errors highlighted in red.

If the error mentions another plugin or your theme, there may be a conflict.

If the error mentions a MEC file, take a screenshot of the error and contact support.

If there are no JavaScript errors, continue with the checks below.

Check Your Theme

MEC relies on standard WordPress hooks to load its scripts.

Ask your theme developer to verify that the theme correctly uses the standard:

wp_head()

and

wp_footer()

functions.

Check AJAX-Loaded Content

If the calendar is loaded dynamically inside an Elementor popup, AJAX page transition, or another dynamically loaded area, MEC’s scripts may not be loaded correctly.

Open the calendar page directly in a new browser tab.

If MEC works correctly there, the problem may be related to how your theme or page builder loads third-party JavaScript inside dynamic content.

Check for jQuery Conflicts

Some outdated plugins load their own version of jQuery and can interfere with the version used by WordPress.

If you suspect a jQuery conflict, perform the plugin conflict test described in test for a Plugin Conflict.

MEC AJAX, Search, or Filters Not Working

If clicking the next-month button, searching for events, or applying a filter does nothing, the AJAX request used by MEC may be failing.

Check the Failed AJAX Request

1. Open the calendar page.
2. Press F12 and open the Network tab.
3. Click the next-month button or apply a filter.
4. Look for a failed request, usually involving admin-ajax.php or a MEC REST request.

Check the HTTP status code.

403 – Forbidden

A security plugin, firewall, or hosting rule may be blocking the request.

Check your security plugin and ask your hosting provider to make sure admin-ajax.php is accessible to visitors.

404 – Not Found

Re-save your WordPress permalinks: Settings > Permalinks > Save Changes

500 – Server Error

A server-side PHP error has occurred.

Open the Response or Preview section of the failed request, take a screenshot, and provide it to MEC support.

If you use Cloudflare, temporarily enable Development Mode or pause Cloudflare to determine whether its firewall is blocking the request.

Re-save WordPress Permalinks

Go to: Settings > Permalinks

Without changing anything, click Save Changes.

This refreshes WordPress’s URL rules and can resolve several AJAX and URL-related problems.

Event Pages Return a 404 Error

If your events exist but their pages show a 404 — Page Not Found error, first re-save your WordPress permalinks:

Settings > Permalinks > Save Changes

Check for a Slug Conflict

Go to: MEC > Settings > Slugs/Permalinks

Check the following slugs:

• Main Slug – events by default.
• Category Slug – mec-category by default.

Make sure that a WordPress page does not use the same slug as the MEC archive.

For example, if MEC uses events as its Main Slug and you also have a WordPress page with the events slug, rename one of them.

If you change a MEC slug, save the MEC settings and then save the WordPress permalink settings again.

Colors and Custom Styles Are Not Applied

If your selected colors or custom CSS are not appearing, regenerate MEC’s stylesheet first.

Go to: MEC > Settings > Styling

Click Save Changes.

Then clear all website, CDN, and browser caches.

If you are using custom CSS, add it through the MEC custom CSS area or your theme’s customizer so that it loads after MEC’s default stylesheet.

If the styles still do not apply, another plugin or your theme may be overriding MEC’s CSS rules.

The Google Map Is Blank or Gray

If the Google Map on the Single Event page is blank, gray, or displays a development-only watermark, check your Google Maps configuration.

Add a Google Maps API Key

Go to: MEC > Settings > Modules

Find the Google Maps section and enter your API key.

Check Google APIs

Make sure the required APIs are enabled in your Google Cloud project.

The Maps JavaScript API is required. The Places API may also be required if you use address autocomplete.

Check API Key Restrictions

If your API key is restricted by HTTP referrer, make sure your website domain is included in the allowed referrers.

Check Google Maps Billing

Google requires an active billing account for Google Maps to work, even though a free usage allowance is available.

Prevent Google Maps From Loading Twice

If your theme or another plugin already loads Google Maps, MEC may be loading the API a second time.

Check the Google Maps API Load option under: MEC > Settings > Modules

Configure it according to your website’s existing Google Maps setup.

Emails and Reminders Are Not Being Sent

If booking confirmations, notifications, or reminders are not being delivered, check the following.

Check Notification Settings

First, check the attendee’s spam or junk folder.

Then go to: MEC > Settings > Notifications

Make sure the required notification is enabled.

Use SMTP

WordPress’s default PHP mail system can be unreliable or blocked by some hosting providers.

Using an SMTP plugin and connecting it to a real mailbox can significantly improve email delivery.

Check WP-Cron

MEC’s scheduled reminders and automatic emails depend on WordPress scheduled tasks.

On websites with low traffic, scheduled tasks may be delayed.

You can:

• Ask your hosting provider to configure a real system cron.
• Use a plugin such as WP Crontrol to check whether WordPress scheduled events are running.

If emails arrive but contain incorrect information or are sent to the wrong recipients, review the notification recipient settings under: MEC > Settings > Notifications

Booking Module Issues

Booking problems generally fall into a few common categories.

The Booking Form or Register Button Does Not Appear

Make sure:

• The Booking Module is enabled for the event.
• At least one ticket has been configured for the event.

You can also review the general booking configuration under: MEC > Settings > Booking

Payments Fail or Orders Remain Unpaid

Check your payment gateway credentials and test the gateway in sandbox mode.

If you are using WooCommerce for payments, see:

Booking Data Is Incomplete

Bookings can be managed and exported from: MEC > Bookings

Review the booking record and attendee information there.

The Booking Form Submits but Nothing Happens

This is often related to the same AJAX issues described in MEC AJAX, Search, or Filters Not Working.

Use the browser’s Network tab to check whether the booking request is failing.

How to Find Out What Is Causing the Problem

If the previous troubleshooting steps did not solve the issue, the problem may be caused by a conflict with another plugin or your WordPress theme.

Test for a Plugin Conflict

1. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
2. Temporarily deactivate one plugin other than MEC.
3. Check the calendar again.
4. If the problem disappears, you have identified a possible conflicting plugin.
5. Update, replace, or contact the developer of that plugin.
6. If the problem remains, reactivate the plugin and continue testing the next plugin.

Test for a Theme Conflict

1. Go to Appearance > Themes.
2. Temporarily switch to a default WordPress theme.
3. Check the calendar again.

If the problem disappears, the conflict is likely related to your theme. Contact the theme developer for further assistance.

If you are working on a live website, you can use the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin. Its troubleshooting mode allows you to test plugins and themes without affecting what your visitors see.

Collect Error Details

If you need to contact MEC support, collecting the following information can make troubleshooting much faster:

• A screenshot of JavaScript errors from F12 > Console.
• Relevant errors from the WordPress debug.log file.
• Your WordPress version.
• Your PHP version.
• Your MEC version.
• The URL of the affected page.

Contacting MEC Support

If none of the troubleshooting steps above resolves the issue, contact MEC support and provide as much information as possible.

Include:

• Your MEC version and edition (Lite or Pro).
• Your WordPress version.
• Your PHP version.
• The URL of the affected page.
• A screenshot of the browser console if the problem involves JavaScript or interactive elements.
• Your active theme.
• Your active plugins.
• The troubleshooting steps you have already performed.

Providing these details helps the support team identify whether the issue is related to MEC, another plugin, your theme, or the server environment.